Marble flooring is something that we often associate with grand buildings but more and more of us are aspiring to bring the beauty of marble into our homes where it makes an impressive and effective floor for many types of room and decorating styles. As marble is a natural product and there are natural variations in the color and veining no marble floor looks exactly like any other and that makes your floor unique as well as beautiful.
When you buy marble it comes in the form of tiles and there are various choices to be made which will affect the look and character of your floor;-
1. Color
Marble floor tiles come in interesting color variations from an almost white ivory color to very dark shades almost black. Different colors will give a very different effect when used as a backdrop to the room so you need to think carefully about your whole room scheme before choosing your tiles. You do not want a large area like a floor to be the main event in the room or the room will look out of balance. As you are likely to keep your flooring for a long time choose a neutral color for your marble flooring tiles, and one which is in the same color family as you plan to use. In large rooms, all colors from ivory to honey beige are generally quite effective although you can go to town a bit more on a small room like a bathroom.
Marble Mosaic Tiles (Click image for details)
You will see that marble tiles come in various standard sizes. The largest sizes of marble floor tile should only be used in public buildings where large expanses of flooring mean minimal cutting. The most practical size for home use is a 12 inch square tile. Although you will also find a lot of tiny marble mosaic tiles which are particularly suitable for use in the bathroom, these also come in the form of sheets generally 12 inches square too. As well as 12 inch tiles you will also find 18 inch tiles for the domestic market. They are suitable for the larger expanses of flooring in the home.
3. Finish
Marble tile flooring comes in several finishes which affect the character of the floor and how you care for it. The main finishes are glazed and unglazed. The unglazed tiles have a more natural finish but they are susceptible to staining so glazed is best for ease of maintenance. If you prefer the natural look you can choose a glaze which is matte rather than high gloss. If you are using marble flooring in an area which gets damp such as a bathroom, take care to use a slip resistant mat. In fact in the bathroom, the highly polished surfaces of a marble floor might be best replaced with mosaic tiles where you are less likely to slip.
Marble floors, of course, are not cheap so you want to be sure to make the right choice. That is further complicated by the fact that high prices do not always go hand in hand with high quality. Some imported Italian marbles are the most expensive of all yet the are no better and sometimes worse than the marble quarried in the U.S. This makes it doubly important to go to a supplier you trust and not to just go for the lowest price or best advertised discount marble flooring.
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